One of the main criticisms aimed at Steve Bruce during his rather tense tenure as Newcastle United’s manager – and there were many – focused on the absence of anything resembling a clear tactical plan.
What were Bruce’s Newcastle supposed to be? Two and a half years after he replaced Rafa Benitez in the St James’ Park hotseat, it seems that is a question we will never be able to answer.
Were the Magpies supposed to be a disciplined, tight-knit side capable of soaking up pressure and hitting opponents on the counter-attack, a la Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace?
A dreadful defensive record suggests not.
But they certainly weren’t the sort of side who would dominate possession either, passing and probing their opponents to death.
Newcastle, in short, were a flabby mess of nothingness; 11 men in black and white, ambling around a football pitch like that strange man at the bus stop at 2am.
Is Eddie Howe about to transform Newcastle United?
One thing you could never accuse Bruce’s successor of, however, is lacking a clear identity.
“If you can find me a way that’s different to dominating the ball and dominating chances that guarantees you winning games, I’d be surprised to hear it,” Eddie Howe told the Examiner back in 2015, batting away criticism of a Bournemouth side who somehow managed to lose 1-0 – to Newcastle no less – despite mustering 67 per cent of the possession along the way.
“I’ve made it very clear since day one of pre-season – we’re not going to change our style of football for anybody. I still believe our style can and will be effective at this level, we just have to keep going.”
Such a claim, albeit one made six years ago, should be music to the ears of Newcastle supporters desperate for an identity.
Howe’s penchant for progressive, attractive, forward-thinking football would be a welcome change of scenery from the dark days of ‘Bruce Out’.
Rafa Benitez may be a modern-day legend at St James’ Park but, while his Newcastle side were often efficient, they certainly weren’t exciting.
With FootMercato reporting that Newcastle are looking to hijack Marseille’s £9 million deal to bring in Matteo Guendouzi from Arsenal, it seems that the North East giants are looking to add some much-needed energy, aggression and swagger to an engine room in dire need of a jump start – someone perfectly suited to Howe’s high-octane brand of possession football.
Guendouzi, revitalised and refreshed on the other side of the Channel, has been in superb on loan at Marseille, earning a re-call to the French national team.
While FootMercato believe that Newcastle’s interest went hand-in-hand with the planned arrival of Unai Emery – his former manager at Arsenal – it’s not hard to imagine Guendouzi thriving under Howe either, developing his game in a similar manner to Lewis Cook on the South Coast.
“I like him a lot. He has great talent, exceptional talent, he’s very good both technically and tactically,” said Luis Campos, the legendary sporting director who knows a thing or two about young talent (O Jogo).
Campos, during spells at Lille and Monaco, was credited with the emergence of Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Victor Osimhen.
“He needs to mature more. (But) as he is still very young, he has a great future ahead of him.”
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